The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-02-14
THE FORTY.NINTH CONGRESS-
The Senate Adopts the Subsidy Amend
ment to the PostofficeA Appropriation.
The House Debates and Passes the Bill Pro-
viding for Redemption Of the Trade Dol
lar and Considers the Consular Bill.
THE SENATE.


public building at Portsmouth, O., and fixing the
limit of cost at $780, 900 for site and building was
reported by Mr.. Malone. from the committee on
public buildings, and passed.
Mr.. Cameron from the committee on naval af-
fairs. reported back, with amendments, the bill
! introduced by him yesterday Ito increase the
! naval establishment and gave notice that he
| will call it up on Monday Immediately after the
ihoroine business
THE amendments made by the naval commit
tee have the effect of fixing the bonus to be paid
the contractor for the first knot in excess of the
contract rate of twenty knots to be attained by
the proposed cruisers, $780, 000 and for each
additional knot. $500. 600 The aggregate of
the appropration-$2l,S SOC, 000-has not been
changed
Mr.. Hale reported back from the naval COM
mittee amendment to the bill introduced by
him yesterday ''to provide for the increase of
of the naval establishments and gave notice
that he will call it up at an early day.
THE amendment appropriates SO, 000, 600 for
the arment of the vessels for the construction
of which the bill provides The bill now APP
propriates $lJ,000,000l
Mr.. Williams introduced bill to amend the
act for the resumption of specie payment Re-
ferred.
1t authorizes the redemption Of legal tenders
Tthc-isw at present provides for New York
Mr.. Platt withdrew his motion to reconsider
the vote Of yesterday passing the bill to author
lie the Forth Worth s. Denver City Railway
Company to construct railroad through public
lands in Utah Territory.
The conference report on the bill for public
building at Lafayette, Ind. was presented and
pgreed to.
On motion of Mr. Cullom, the House bill re-
lating to the division of the State Of Illinois
into judicial districts and for holding terms of
court of the Northern district at Peoria was
passed, with amendment committee of
conference on the amendment was ordered
The amendment provides that all crimes
heretofore committed shall be tried in the same
manner as If the bill bad not been passed.
The Senate then resumed consideration of the
postoffice appropriation bill, the question being
the amendment appropriating $500, 600 for the
mails to South America.
Mr.. Morgan moved to amend the subsidy
Amendment by inserting instead OF the word
built the words s'owned and oficered," so that
the sentence will read. 'for the transportation
Of foreign mails by American owned and Off
cered steamships" also. to add to the paragraph
rs follows: s'Sucn steamships, so owned and Of
fcered, shall be entitled to be enrolled, regis
tered and licensed American built ships
while they EN- ploy ed in the execution Of said
contracts for the transportation of foreign
mails"
Mr.. Plumb quoted paragraph from the At
lanta Constitution. characterizing as "ridicu-
Ions 'the management. or rather mismanage-
Mr.. Coke said that in the State of Texas the
mail service very poor. 1t had never been
worse except during the war;
Mr.. Plumb, referring to the subsidy amand-
meat, said that the Postofice Department was
tina year - Favor of what that amendment pro-
-yi..sd for. He gould pot add anytkiuc to what
=. Che Postmaster general had, in his last annual
report, Stated so succnctly 50 ably and SO ex-
haustively, this subject; and he Mr. Plumb
Endorsed every word OF It.
An extract from the Postmaster generals re-
port read by the Clerk.
II believe" said MIR. Plumb. continuing. "that
if this appropriation be made this year, the
Postnas ter general will ask, next year, for
more. His horizon will widen. He will under
stand the greater necessity for postal extension,
and will see more clearly the benefits to be de-
rived therefrom. And when he comes here he
will not be asked by the Senate whether he be
Democrat Republican. He will be asked
only what he proposes to do to extend proper
postal facilities to citizens of the United States.
at home and abroad, and what incidental ad
gantages are to be expected in the building up
of commerce and of business interests. and in
promoting the welfare of the people.
Mr. Beck opposed the subsidy amendment.
The extract from the Postmaster generals re-
port, he said, he had heard before; but he had,
in committee and out of committee, insisted that
false construction was put upon 1t, and that
the Postoffce Department was as much opposed
to this cubsidy as it had been to the subsidy of
last year. The proposed subsidy was not in the
interest of the Postoffice Department. but would
The majority of the committee had fit to
assume that the language of the Postmaster gen
erals report was in accordance with the subsidy
amendment aud. therefore, he had himself ap
piled to the Postmaster general on the subject
and hadireceived letter, which hewould now read
70 the Senate. The Postmaster general says ia
ais letter:
fair reading of my reports, the one for 1885
and the other for 1886 will show unless / very
greatly mistaken that tho only object purpose II
view suggestion in the last report to obtain tn.
carriage of the mails to the South American repub
lies with double service Brazil at such cheap and
econt mca figures would be necessary for the pur
pose. and that no idea of subsidyfor the crea
ton of line of trade and travel-was proposed
There companies. nomnaly actually of foreign
organization, which believe would compete for thi
service and furnish it at comparatively cheap figures
believe also, that it that competition were admitte
In A,heriean company woui1 secure tie ssf-.oe ii
stead of foreign company, but at a fair remunera
ton and not as the recipient of subsidy. l thin
There is good reason to expect this result If the or
,ortun.y be afforded for it. and that enlargement
If postal facilities be secured with no vciou
course of subsidy legislation to bring it about.
in this belief that the suggestion in the last RI
port of $50 made. / cannot anticipate whs
nav be said unfairly perhaps in criticism of the
sort in support of the assertion that the suggesto
sor this service is inconsistent with the posito
taken in the report of 1885 think at least that
the distraction; that the distinction itself is elea
and substantial aud that the extension of the posts
service be secured usefully and desraby withor
he payment of dollar of subsidy but only by gi,
ing fair remuneration for very limited mail cal
siage at the beginning.
Mr.. Beck went on TO say that the subsidy wa
net what WAS wanted, and was not asked for.
Mr.. Plumb, in commenting upon the lette
read by Mr.. Beck, said the Postmaster gen ers
was not willing to take the responsibility of hi
,wn official utterances but wanted to dra
back from them. The report Of the Postmaste
general was the reSdIt of sound and fin.
Judgment He lad only yielded to the socit
lions OF gore people. who saw with disrnay thu
he had stepped over the line of the Democrat
latin on this important subject, and he had bee
s'coached' into withdrawal from his position
Mr. Beck repudiated the idea of having a
tempted to influence the Postmaster genera
He had not spoken with him two minutes i